Emerging Leaders Program

Are you wanting to grow as a family physician leader? Do you want to expand your network and be more involved with the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)? Look no further than the OAFP’s Emerging Leader Program!

Each year, the OAFP seeks members to attend national conferences to gain valuable family medicine education, professional and personal development skills, and legislative knowledge. Members will also have access to networking opportunities and a strong connection back to the OAFP and its leadership path.

Each opportunity listed below has its own criteria and selection process. Those selected will be reimbursed for eligible expenses as outlined in the OAFP Reimbursement Policy.

Please contact OAFP staff with questions.


The Annual Chapter Leader Forum (ACLF) brings together physician leaders and chapter staff from around the country, and features sessions around priority issues in leadership development; policy/advocacy; engaging chapter members; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. This event is an opportunity to focus on new ways to address the issues that affect members and engage in important dialogue with the Academy’s most involved members.

ACLF will be held Wednesday-Saturday, April 23-26, 2025, in Kansas City, MO.

Each year, the OAFP will support up to two members in attending ACLF as Emerging Leaders.

Those interested in applying must:
  • Be an OAFP member
  • Currently serve on the OAFP Board of Directors.
Members chosen for Emerging Leader support will be:
  • Required to attend all portions of ACLF activities
  • Encouraged to submit a report of their experience upon returning from ACLF
  • Encouraged to connect with an officer of the OAFP Board of Directors upon returning from ACLF to discuss goals/next steps in leadership interests.

Members interested in selection and funding should complete the application (available in winter 2024) and submit a current CV (three-page maximum) to Kaitlin McGuffie by Friday, January 31, 2025.

The OAFP Executive Committee will review applicant materials and select up to two Emerging Leaders to send to ACLF. Selections will be made and recipients notified by Monday, February 24, 2025.

Please contact Kaitlin McGuffie for more information and with questions.

Past Recipients

2024 – John Sharma, MD
2023 – Katherine Davis, MD

The National Conference of Constituency Leaders (NCCL) is the AAFP’s leadership development event that empowers a select group of change makers to catalyze positive change in family medicine. NCCL inspires members to build on their leadership skills and create a lasting impact for current and future generations of family physicians.

NCCL will be held Wednesday-Saturday, April 23-26, 2025, in Kansas City, MO.

Each year, the OAFP will support up to two members in attending NCCL as Emerging Leaders from those physicians who applied for, but were not selected as, an Ohio Delegate for one of the five special constituencies defined by the AAFP. Attending NCCL as an Emerging Leader allows you to experience the conference and prepare for attending in the future as a delegate.

Participating in NCCL as an Emerging Leader has some limitations (for example, you can’t vote in constituency elections or extract resolutions for debate), but you can author resolutions (with two official delegates as co-authors), add your voice to the resolution discussions, and apply for volunteer positions during the conference.

Those interested in applying must:
  • Be an active member of the Academy
  • Represent one of the five special constituencies (IMG, LGBTQ+ physician or ally, BIPOC, New (in the first seven years of practice following residency), and/or Women)
  • Applied to attend as an Ohio delegate.
Members chosen for Emerging Leader support will be:
  • Required to participate in the leadership mentoring process of NCCL delegates
  • Consider volunteering for an NCCL reference committee or other volunteer position(s)
  • Required to submit a one-page report about their experience
  • Encouraged to apply for an NCCL delegate position the following year
  • Encouraged to serve on the OAFP Member Constituencies Workgroup for at least one year to assist in selecting and mentoring the next year’s Delegates and Emerging Leaders.

Members interested in selection and funding should complete the NCCL delegate application (available in winter 2024). The OAFP Member Constituencies Workgroup will review applicant materials and select up to two Emerging Leaders. Selections will be made and recipients notified in February.

Please contact Emily Pavoni for more information and with questions.

Past Recipients

2024 – Tamara Huson, MD
2023 – Rebecca Yeager, MD and Amy Zack, MD
2022 – Megan Early, DO

Take an active role in shaping family medicine’s future by attending the Family Medicine Advocacy Summit (FMAS). During FMAS, you’ll learn tactics for being a specialty champion. Plus, you’ll flex your skills when you lobby directly with members of Congress to influence public policies that affect your patients and practice.

FMAS will be held in May 2025 in Washington, DC.

Each year, the OAFP will support up to two members in attending FMAS as Emerging Leaders.

Those interested in applying must:
  • Be an active member of the Academy
  • Have participated in OAFP’s Public Policy Workgroup within the past three years.

Members interested in selection and funding should complete the application (available in winter 2024). The OAFP Executive Committee will review applicant materials, select up to two Emerging Leaders, and notify recipients in February.

Please contact Kaela Springhetti for more information and with questions.

Past Recipients

2024 – Marc Edwards, DO and Sonal Singh, MD
2023 – Evan Howe, MD and John Sharma, MD

The AAFP’s Congress of Delegates (COD) is its policy-making body. During the two and one-half day meeting (held prior to AAFP’s FMX), the COD agenda includes addresses from AAFP officers, resolutions from chapters, reports from the AAFP Board of Directors and commissions, and the election of officers.

The next COD will be held Monday-Wednesday, September 23-25, in Phoenix, AZ.

Each year, the OAFP will support up to two members in attending the COD as Emerging Leaders.

Those interested in applying must:
  • Be an OAFP member
  • Have attended one of the following AAFP conferences within the past three years:
    • National Conference of Constituency Leaders (NCCL)
    • Annual Chapter Leadership Forum (ACLF)
    • Family Medicine Advocacy Summit (FMAS)
    • Congress of Delegates (COD)
    • National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students (must have served as an Ohio delegate or alternate delegate).
Members chosen for Emerging Leader support will be:
  • Encouraged to attend the OAFP’s Virtual Membership Meeting
  • Required to attend and/or participate in all portions of COD activities including, but not limited to, the COD reference committee processes, scheduled OAFP events, and more
  • Required to submit a report of their experience
  • Encouraged to author a resolution for consideration of the OAFP Board of Directors, if an issue is relevant and connected to OAFP’s strategic plan (OAFP staff and Board members are available for technical assistance).

The application process for 2024 is closed and recipients have been selected. The next cycle will open in late summer 2025 for the next COD which is set for Saturday-Monday, October 4-6, 2025, in Anaheim, CA.

Please contact Kaitlin McGuffie for more information and with questions.

Past Recipients

2024 – Megan Early, DO and Karen Shafer, MD
2023 – Catherine Romanos, MD and Heidi Yount, MD


About the Emerging Leader Program

A strategic initiative of the OAFP is to provide varied leadership opportunities and support to members who are ready to lead. To that end, the OAFP created the Emerging Leader Program to provide ongoing leadership development and continuity for understanding Ohio’s role in national level priorities.

The OAFP’s Emerging Leader Program serves several vital purposes, reflecting the evolving needs and challenges faced by both the organization and its members. The OAFP created initial Emerging Leader opportunities by providing funding support and mentorship around four of the AAFP’s leadership events: the Annual Chapter Leadership Forum, the National Conference of Constituency Leaders, the Family Medicine Advocacy Summit, and the Congress of Delegates.

Through this endeavor, the OAFP will enhance and support efforts in succession planning; talent development; innovation and adaptability; engagement and retention; diversity and inclusion; and community building.

Overall, the Emerging Leader Program will ensure that the OAFP remains relevant, resilient, and responsive to the needs of its members and the evolving landscape of the specialty of family medicine on the state and national levels. In addition, this program will serve as a pipeline for developing and empowering the next generation of leaders; fostering innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the OAFP and beyond.

Financial support for this program was provided by the AAFP Foundation to the Family Medicine Chapter Alliance (FMCA) and is funded by members like you! Help programs like this continue to support family medicine by giving to the AAFP Foundation. Select “Chapter Grants” when making your gift online. Thank you!